Rotary power generator



Jan- 16, `1951 R. A. WEINHARDT 2,538,179

` ROTARY POWER GENERATOR Filed Sept. 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Shea?I 1 R. A. WEINHARDT ROTARY POWER GENERATOR Jan. 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1945 Patented Jan. 16,4 1951 ROTARY POWER GENERATOR v Robert A. Weinhardt, Detroit,v Mich.; Grace K. Weinhardt administratrix of said Robert A.

Weinhardt, deceased Application September 4, 1945, Serial No. 614,221

4 Claims. (0l. 60-41) This invention relates to power generators. and particularly to rotary power generators using a fluid as the medium for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy. I am aware that heretofore iiuid power generators have been built consisting of an air compressor, driven by a fluid turbine, said turbine being driven by a fluid drawn from a combustion chamber, into which chamber-the air from said compressor is pumped and compressed and with the admission of fuel into said combustion chamber, combustion is engendered, thus elevating the temperature of the uid, after which the iluid is admitted into the turbine buckets where it is expanded and the thermal energy is converted by the turbine rotors through impulse and reaction forces set up by the expanding fluid while passing through the rotors buckets into -mechanicalenergy Such power generators are generally known as gas turbines. y

To start such power generators functioning, some external independent power source is utilized, to rotate the turbine and compressor shaft as a single unit in order to rotate the compressor to impress air under slight pressure (above at'- mosphere) to support combustion in the combustion chamber; this means of starting is cumbersome and wasteful of power as well as slow in starting the generator.

move or reduce the thermal losses and also the iluid irictional losses, and fluid leakage.

It is another object to provide a rotary power generator that is readily started by external power means, using only a very small source of power.

Another object is to provide a rotary power generator that is compact and rigid in construction.

Another object is to provide a rotary power generator that is reliable in operation yet low in cost of production.

Another object is to provide a rotary power generator that is high in thermal efliciency and also mechanical emciency, hence high in overall eiliciency.

Another object is to provide a rotary power generator in which the fluid at high temperatures can be utilized.

Another object is to provide a rotary power generator having rotor buckets made of material that will resist the erosive effects of the high temperature fluid.

Another object is to provide a rotor having buckets that utilize and convert into rotary mechanical energy a greater portion of the uids thermal energy.

Another object is to provide rotors so disposed that their buckets receive the uid impact or influx at a highly eiilcient angle.

Another object is to provide a rotary power generator that produces a greater horsepower output per pound of fuel consumed per horsepower hour.

Another object is to provide a fuel feed system and injection means that injects liquid fuel into the combustion chamber in a manner and form to induce eiiicient and rapid combustion.

Another object is to provide a power generator wherein the main shaft bearing life is prolonged and their values enhanced.

These objects are attained by the structure indicated in the appended drawings and speciilcation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rotary power generator embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Figure 1 through the buckets of the rotors, indicating the relative position of same respective their common axis and respective to each other.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one internal and y one external bucket element detached from their respective rotors and having their top or ceiling walls removed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one internal and one external bucket element detached from their respective rotors, diagrammatically showing the path of the uid as it issues from the nozzle and ows through the buckets of the rotors until finally discharged as exhaust.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 in Figure 1 showing the general construction of the compressor driving clutch.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral I 0 is the base or foundation carrying the bearings Il and I2, also gear box I3 and pinion stud H, on

which is rotatably mounted a pinion. The base I 9 also carries bearings |5 and I5 rotatably sup- Porting a power take-off shaft I1 with its flange I8.

In bearing 1s rotatably mounted outer turbine rotor hollow shaftv 22 and also rotatably mounted the hollow portion of inner turbine rotor shaft 20. Numeral 2| indicates theouter turbine rotor assembly, said assembly being keyed to shafts 22 and |9 by keys 23 and 24. Turbine rotor shaft I9 has keyed to its external end, gear 25.

Inner turbine rotor 26 has key 21 afllxing it to shaft 29 and to the one end of shaft 20 is keyed the gear 28 by key 29. Inner turbine rotor shaft 20 is supported rotatably in bearings I and I2.

Outer turbine rotor hollow shaft I9 is supported rotatably by bearing |2. 1

Into the hollow portion of shaft 28v extends the fuel pipe 34 with its fuel outlet openings 35 in approximate register with similar openings 36 in shaft 20 and shaft 22. Seals are provided as indicated by 31, and pipe 34 is supported by bushing 38. The extension of combustion chamber wall 49 forms the casing for the compressor impellers 39 and 43.

Compressor impeller 39 is keyed for driving by key 40 to shaft 22, also the driving hub 4| of overrunning clutch has key 42 aftlxing it to shaft 22. Letter N is the compressor inlet port and letter U is the compressor outlet port.

Supported on the clutch hub 4| and also on shaft 22 is another compressor impeller 43 whose own hub extends toward bearing II and has affixed to it the impeller starter gear44; fuel injection ducts 45 and 46 may be either in the form of drilled holes or at disc-like slots. These extend from a point of register with ports 35 and 35 radially outward and into combustion chamber 48 into which the fuel is sprayed.

Combustion chamber outer wall 49 is afllxed uid tight at point W to turbine rotor 2| and is also afxed to impeller 39 frompoint X to point Y so that turbine rotor 2| and second stage compressor impeller 39 are operatively interconnected and rotate as a unit. Said wall 49 extends freely from point Y to point Z. Combustion chamber inlet port is indicated as at O and outlet ports at 89 A deector wall 58 is attached to wall 49, also spark plug 5| is placed to pass in close proximity with its terminal 52, close to the stationary ring 53 supported by insulators 54 on the stationary housing 55 and on base I0.

Rotatable seals against fluid leaks are provided at 56 and 51 between an extension 58 on rotor 2| and the rotating wall 59 and the stationary exhaust fluid collector ring 80. Stationary housing 55 is supported by the base I0 and in turn supports the exhaust collector ring 60 with its fluid exhaust outlet port 8|. A ground wire 52 connects stationary housing 55 to secondary of spark coil 53 and lead wire 84 connects to stationary terminal 53. Contact is made between spark plug terminal 52 by arcing across the air gap as at 85 and another gap as at 56.

In circle 61 is indicated in series a battery, a switch 94 and a vibrator transformer coil capable of producing a secondary current of high voltage at the spark plug gap 56. To internal surface of the peripheral rim of turbine rotor 2| are afilxed turbine bucket elements 88 having fluid inlet ports in register with ports in rotor peripheral rim 69, and with exhaust outlet I projecting outwardly into exhaust collector ring 50. Afllxed to the external surface of peripheral rim of turbine rotor 26 are turbine bucket elements 14. Turbine bucket elements 68 and 14 are disposed laterally relatively to one another so that elliux of any one stage will be the influx of the next succeeding stage as indicated in Fig. 4. From nozzle 12 located in bucket element 88 the uid issues under high temperature and pressure and enters the first stage bucket 13 located in element 14 and therefrom entering directly into the second stage bucket 15 located in element 58 and so on successively through as many and various stages as the design may designate, the fluid passing alternately at each stage to and from the outer turbine rotor buckets to the inner turbine rotor buckets until the final stage is reached at which point the fluid passes out at the exhaust port 10 as exhaust fluid into the collector ring 50 and exhaust outlet port 6| at reduced pressure and reduced temperature.

Turbine bucket elements 68 and 14 are of heat resistant material, such as alloy steel. or nonmetallic material as ceramic, or a molded compounded material.

The buckets 13 and 15 are appro; mately semi- Y circular in form and rectangular in :ross section,

being formed by walls 18 extending perpendicularly from a floor 11 and 18 upward to come into contact with the ceiling of the element, to form said rectangular channels 88. Means to aix the elements to their respective turbine rotor rims are indicated at 8| and 82 as a through pin or bolt. Fluid is conducted from ports 69 to nozzles 12 by means of the passage 19 which is sealed against leakage at time of assembly.

The over-running clutch shown in section in Fig. 5 consists of hub 4| having several wedge shaped notches 83 recessed in its periphery and extending across the face of said hub. In each notch 83 a roller 84 is fitted. a spring 85 at each roller forcing roller 84 toward the pointed end of wedge shaped notch 83 until roller contacts both the hub of impeller 43 and the clutch hub 4|. Thus when shaft 22 is standing idle impeller 43 is freely rotatable in the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 5).

Whenever shaft 22 is revolved at a speed greater than hub 43 the rollers 84 will lock in the wedged shaped notches and cause impeller 43 to rotate with it as a unit.

Fuel is supplied to the injector system through fuel pipe 34 through a throttling or metering valve 88.

A pump 81 maintains the fuel supply under pressure at the said valve 85. drawing its charge from a supply tank not shown, to which also is returned any surplus fuel pumped above the fuel required by the power generator. Pump 81 is mounted on base |0 and driven by gear 44.

Various types of starting device may be used, but for simplicity an electric motor starter 88 having a shiftable pinion 89 on its power shaft 90 is here shown.

Starter motor 88 is supported on base I8 in a position that provides proper meshing of the starter pinion 89 with gear 44.

In circle 9| is diagrammed the source of electrlcal current a battery 92 in series with a switch 93 and the winding of said electric motor 88.

The gears shown in gear box I3 are subject to a variety of constructional d esigns and various ratios and are a matter of common knowledge so no claim or description of same is here made, it is to be noted that by choice of ratios the respective speeds of the turbine rotors can be set so that one turbine rotor will run at, say for example 5,000 rev. while the other runs at 10,000, thus making a combined relative speed of 15,000 revolutions per minute.

sure in the fuel throttle valve 88 and as the operator now opens this throttle valve slightly. fuel in the form of a ne spray or gas is delivered to the combustion chamber 41through the fuel pipev 34 and injector ports 35 and 86 and ducts 45 and 48.

The impeller 43 being rotated draws fluid or air through inlet N and out through outlet U into combustion chamber 41 thru its inlet at O pumping the uid at some pressure into the combustion chamber 41 where the deflector 50 causes part of the fluid pumped to pass along the combustion chamber outer wall 49 to keep its temperature down, the balance of the fluid pumped passes directly across the path of the fuel being ejected from the fuel ducts 45 and 46 where the fluid and fuel combine to form a combustible mixture. This mixture is ignited by the heat of the arc as at 66; after ignition is started switch 94 is opened to stop the arcing at 66, and combustion is self sustaining.

The combustion raises the temperature of the fluid, which now passes from the ports 89 and out of nozzles 12 and expands while passing through the several stages of turbine buckets on the turbine rotor rims passing alternately from one `turbine rotor to the other and finally out through the exhaust port at or near the pressure of the atmosphere and at a temperature very much lower than it had when it entered the nozzles 12.

The energy given up by the drop in temperature and pressure is partly converted into mechanical energy by the forces exerted by the expanding fluid against the curved surfaces of the turbine buckets in the form of impulse and reaction forces, that cause the turbine rotors to rotate about their common axis, the one rotor in one direction, the other turbine rotor in the opposite direction.

As the fluid now causes turbine rotor 2| to rotate it also causes impeller 43 to rotate, thus more fluid is pumped into the combustion chamber 41 whereby more energy is made available, hence turbine rotors increase their power output and rotative speed.

When the turbine rotor 2l has attained a rotative speed equal to the speed of impeller 43, the clutch hub 4I will advance in relation to the impeller 43 and cause rollers 84 to wedge and lock these two hubs together, thereafter the rotor drives the impeller 43 and the starter switch is opened to allow the starter motor to drop down in speed; which action causes the starter shaft gear to shift itself out of mesh with gear 44.

The power generator is now operating on its own generated power, any surplus energy created over the energy required to drive the compressor is available as power to do any kind of mechanical work, through the medium of the gears in the gear box i3 and the power take-off shaft and flange i8.

The power output can now be varied as desired by manipulation of the fuel throttle valve either by the operator or by means of a mechanical governor attached to said throttle valve.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications in construction and design may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. l do not therefore wish to be limited to the structure herein shown and described. j

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rotary power generator comprising a fluid compressor having an inlet and an outlet port. a combustion chamber having an inlet and outlet ports, said compressor outlet port being attached to said combustion chamber inlet port to receive said fluid from said compressor means for injecting fuel into said combustion chamber. means for initiating combustion in said combustion chamber, a pair of turbine rotors having buckets mounted co-axially one within the other in radially spaced relationship, said turbine rotors having nozzles and turbine buckets disposed at' the rotor peripheries in circular sequence, said combustion chamber outlet ports terminating in said nozzles, one of said turbine rotors having its circle of buckets encompassed by the circular sequence of buckets of the other said rotors.

2. A rotary power generator comprising a uid compressor having an inlet and an outlet port, a combustion chamber having an inlet port and outlet ports, said compressor outlet port being connected to said combustion chamber inlet port, means for injecting fuel into said combustion chamber means for initiating combustion in said combustion chamber, a pair of turbine rotors having buckets mounted co-axially one within the other in radially spaced relationship, said combustion chamber outlet ports terminating in nozzles, said turbine rotors having opposed buckets with arcuate interconnecting recesses therein, said nozzles aligned to deliver said fluid into said turbine rotor buckets, one or more impellers of said4 compressor being arranged to be driven by said turbine rotors.

3. A rotary power generator comprising a fluid compressor, having an inlet port and an outlet port, a combustion chamber having an inlet port and outlet ports, said compressor outlet being connected to said combustion chamber inlet port, means to inject fuel into said combustion chamber, means to ignite said fuel in said combustion chamber, a pair of turbine rotors having buckets mounted co-axially one within the other in radially spaced relationship, said combustion chamber outlet ports terminating in turbine fluid nozzles, said turbine rotors having opposed buckets inclined relatively to the radii thereof and having arcuate interconnecting recesses therein said nozzles aligned to deliver said fluid into the proper turbine buckets, said compressor having a rotary impeller, said compressor impeller -and said turbine rotors all co-axially4 disposed and coupled together said impeller being driven by said turbine rotors.

4. A rotary power generator comprising a uid compressor having an inlet port and an outlet port, a combustion chamber having an inlet port and outlet ports, said compressor outlet port being connected to said combustion chamber inlet port,

means for injecting fuel into said combustion chamber, means to inject fuel into said combustion chamber, means to ignite said fuel in said combustion chamber, a pair of co-axially disposed turbine rotors having buckets arranged one within the other, one of said turbine rotors having its buckets located on the external surface oi its peripheral rim, the other rotor having its buckets located on the internal surface of its peripheral rim, said combustion chamber outlet ports termi natlng ln turbine nozzles, said nozzles being disposed in alignment with said turbine rotor buckets, said compressor being arranged to be coupled to and driven by said turbine rotors.

ROBERT A; WEINHARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesv are of record in the ille of this patent: l

Number Number 8 UNrnm s'ra'ms m'mn's Name Date Leutz Feb. 9, 1909 De Ferranti May 31, 1910 Rder May 20, 1930 Bonom Feb. 16, 1932 Heppner Oct. 10, 1944 Ormsby Mar. 19, 1946 Rowledge May 2l, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 2l, 1937 

